I thought in light of the recent piracy buzz, I would review an excellent weapon system that could be used to combat these thugs. There are plenty of weapons out there that could do the job of fighting off these guys. I think the MK 38 Mod 2 would be a good start for that search. It has reach, and it could mess up the hull of a boat really well. Plus if an electronic aiming system is used, precision fire could be directed at engines. Not to mention using night vision equipment, like FLIR to own the night as well. Most of all, a shot across the bow with this thing, and these guys would think twice about messing with your boat.
The other thing I like about this gun, is the ability to remove the weapon system with a special mount(Mk 88 mount). That would be good for a company that wants to move this gun from boat to boat. That and you can set this up to fire manually, in case the electronics break down.(please note photo) I also like the idea that it is based off a weapon system that is being used all over the place(Mk 242) and parts should be available for it. Like I said, it is not the only weapon out there, and there are plenty to choose from in order to get the job done, but this is a great start.
So why would I talk about such things on a security industry blog? Well for one, I don’t think a couple of M-4’s would suffice as adequate protection for 100 million dollar super tankers cruising around in pirate country. You must have a weapon that can effectively keep pirates away, so they will not be able to use their weapons–our weapons range must beat their weapons range. So stand off distance is essential in this game. But you don’t want to overkill these guys with a main gun, that is slow. You need a gun that is light and quick, yet very effective at stopping a vessel if you have to.
Now would security contractors on a vessel be able to secure a weapon like this for operations? Sure, they could get anything they want. But money, licenses, and the various laws and regulations out there that dictate the use of such weaponry would be the obstacles. And if Iraq and Afghanistan is any indicator of what we can or cannot use as security contractors, then I might have to suggest something else. The largest caliber weapon system I have seen contractors use is a DShK, or a .50 caliber M-2 Machine Gun.
Then there is the automatic grenade launchers like the Mk 19 or the AGS 17 , but that is another story.
Or I guess we could tone it down a little and use a M-107 or something? But honestly, if I was defending a big ship from a well organized gang of thugs attacking from fast moving vessels, I want the right tool for the job. And trust me, if the pirates have been making millions of dollars off of these operations, they now have the resources to buy big guns. Even the DShK was being used by Somalis on land–what’s to say they won’t convert their boats into a maritime versions of a ‘Technical‘?
Also, the other nice thing about showing some ‘cannons on deck’ is the intimidation factor. Right now, pirates are operating on the idea that these boats are not armed and do not want to fight, hence making them easy targets. All they have to worry about is avoiding the large and cumbersome Navies floating around, and board a boat. Once on the boat, they know the company will roll over and pay them the ransom. We must stop this cycle, and we must have the tools to send the right message ‘of don’t mess with this boat’.
Another idea, is to do what was mentioned on one of the blogs I highlighted, and that was to place an Abrams or Bradley on top of tanker. Or something smaller, with the idea of having a gun that can move around on the deck. The US Navy or Marines could put small detachments of guys on merchant ships and tankers, and actually protect these vessels. Or the UN could provide these troops, or that ship’s country of origin could provide the troops. But yet again, this becomes a man power issue, and a law of the sea issue that is way beyond my pay grade. That is the idea though, and protecting these vessels is of the utmost importance to our national security. When the cost of oil goes up, because of some pirates taking down a tanker, then that is when we should take notice.
Finally, the reason I am more focused on protecting the vessels with an onboard security team, is because we do not have enough navies to actually protect each individual boat. The area to patrol is too big, and there are too many ships to coordinate and protect. It would be like herding cats over thousands of square miles. And what is really crazy, is trying to identify these pirates. They do not fly the Jolly Roger, they act like fishing vessels in distress or pretend to be a friendly vessel of some sort. They will do all they can to blend in and to deceive, to accomplish their mission of taking down multi-million dollar boats. They are smarter than we give them credit for, and they have a method that is working. –Head Jundi
——————————————————————-
The Mk38 Naval Weapons System. Image is official U. S. Navy photograph, taken aboard the USS Ingraham (FFG-61) in June 2003.
History
The MK 38 machine gun system (MGS) was employed aboard various combatant and auxiliary ships in the Mid-East Force escort operations and during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The weapons are maintained in a rotatable pool, available for temporary installation on various deploying ships and permanent installation on certain amphibious and auxiliary ships, patrol craft and Coast Guard cutters.
